2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/14/2026

296Steering complaints

35.1%Of all 843 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

STEERING296 · 35.1%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM202 · 24%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM152 · 18%

AIR BAGS89 · 10.6%

ENGINE36 · 4.3%

Share of the 843 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt overview page.

What owners report

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE POWER STEERING FAILED MAKING IT…”NHTSA complaint 10416256 — filed 07/29/2011

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN AS THE POWER STEERING…”NHTSA complaint 10410602 — filed 07/05/2011

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY…”NHTSA complaint 10409063 — filed 06/27/2011

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt: 296 of 843 complaints on file (35.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt have in total?

843 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 74 involved a crash, 14 involved a fire, 79 reported injuries, and 13 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.